More Coverage

TORONTO — When the season finally wraps up for the Raptors and the post-season begins, no one is going to look back on this moment and recall how a win was produced.

In the bottom-line business that is the NBA, it’s not how, after all, but how many.

Credit the Raptors for putting aside their recent slide on the road, resilient in the face of moments of rustiness, but effective when required.

Patrick Patterson came out of his shooting slump, but no single individual stuck out, an overall team victory that was well-earned and deserved, the glitches and garbage notwithstanding as Toronto prevailed 100-78.

The Raptors extended their lead to 15 points early in the fourth, but make no mistake about the quality of play, which was borderline unwatchable — players refused to shoot, despite being wide open, air balls were heaved. It was confusion, stagnation, brutal-ball at its worst.

When you’re in the throes of misery, no one cares how points are produced, how stops are made.

A Raptors three-ball gave the home side an 84-66 advantage with 7:19 left and, for all intents and purposes, it was game over.

“There’s no game that isn’t important,’’ said head coach Dwane Casey following his team’s win. “To say this game was more important than the Miami game or the next game, no. Every game is important. We’re in a tight race and every game is important, but again, we still have to play basketball.

“It’s a game and you can’t go out there and be tight. We just have to play basketball. This time of the year, everything is important just because of the position we’re in, how tight it is, whether we’re second, third, it’s a tight race. Everything is important.”

DeMar DeRozan, who had a quiet 25 points — a game-high — ignited the offence in the third quarter.

Casey got solid minutes from Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet when both were on the floor together.

Even though Serge Ibaka went scoreless, Casey felt his veteran big set the tone on defence, finishing the night with a plus-18 rating.

There was a double-double produced by Jonas Valanciunas, moments of explosiveness from Norm Powell and an Ernie Banks moments featuring Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam, who played earlier in the day for the 905.

It was the baseball hall of famer Banks who uttered the famous words: “Let’s play two.’’

OKC, which visits the ACC Thursday, presents a much bigger challenge than anything Dallas was able to mount, a team that produced a grand total of 32 second-half points, a team that made only 12 of its 43 shots during the final 24 minutes, a team that actually led 26-25 after the first quarter.

Dallas was not very good, to be charitable, and Dirk Nowitzki had no lift, especially in the second half, making one of his seven shots and scoring only three points.

For the Raptors, the ball movement was much better, they were more efficient and they made shots.

Wright and Patterson led the bench with 11 points each, going a combined 8-of-14 from the field.

Cory Joseph struggled with his offence, but the Raptors didn’t need him to score, the starting point guard limiting his turnovers to one while dishing off four assists.

When stops were made, the Raptors were able to get out in transition.

“It makes the game easier,’’ added Casey. “I thought we had a good rhythm from that and I think that’s the key to it, making stops, you don’t have to run offence. It’s a make or miss league and we made them. That’s the key.”

Teams went small and the game got even smaller, allowing Patterson to use his dribble to easily finish at the rim in the third.

This was not pretty basketball and the game regressed, with poor decision-making and shot-making. It had the makings of a real stinker.

But one can’t quibble when leads are forged and the Raptors regained their double-digit margin.

Poeltl drew a foul and went to the line with 3.6 seconds left in the period, burying both of his attempts.

There were eight lead changes, six times when the teams were tied, Dallas leading by as much as five points, Toronto by as many as seven in the opening half.

Needless to say, no team could establish any separation and runs were pretty much kept to a minimum, a true indication of the competitive nature of the evening and also an indictment on how neither team had any moment of explosive play.

Nowitzki made six of his nine shots, including both of his three-pointers, adding five rebounds and scoring 14 points in 15 minutes.

The Raptors caught a break when news filtered that Wesley Matthews, who starts in Dallas’ undersized front court, would not return, the victim of a strained right calf that limited him to 17 minutes and 42 seconds.

He was only 1-of-5 from the field and a Raptors-like 0-for-3 from distance.

Casey went with an all-backup look for stretches, a decision that gave the Raptors a lift.

“I was impressed with Fred VanVleet,’’ praised the coach. “He and Delon Wright did a good job pushing the basketball. Dallas wants to run a more deliberate game and we didn’t allow them to do it.”